


A Tale of Life and Death

by croissantbleu



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Curse Breaking, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, I mean it's mostly fluff anyway, M/M, Phandom Big Bang, Phandom Big Bang 2018, Strangers to Friends, death mentions, i mean phil is a necromancer so
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-09
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-09-14 22:01:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16921209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/croissantbleu/pseuds/croissantbleu
Summary: "People always gave him way too much credit. Or they were scared of him, thinking he belonged to the “dark side of magic”. As if there was such a thing. He couldn’t remember how many times he’d explained that magic was neutral, it was merely a tool allowing to reach an end. By itself, it was neither good or bad. What truly mattered were the intentions of people who used it."Or the one in which Phil is a necromancer, and Dan needs his help.





	A Tale of Life and Death

**Author's Note:**

> My PBB fic is finally here! Thank you so much to @/liet-erally for their lovely art! (We’ve been having issues with tumblr so they haven’t been able to post it themselves yet but i’ll make sure to reblog it as soon as we can). Big thanks also to @/parentalbullshitcontent for putting up with me and beta’ing my fic ty ly bb

Phil was half hidden under his desk when he heard the bell above the door ring. He was glad few spells required him to use cinnamon powder, it always was such a pain to clean up. He stood up and quickly fixed his hair.

“Hi! How can I help you?”

The guy in front of him seemed nervous, but that was often the case. People didn’t exactly come here just for the fun of it. Phil noticed how he twisted his hands covered by black gloves, curly brown hair falling in front of his eyes.

“You're, uh, are you Philip Lester? The Necromancer?” he asked.

Phil bit back a smile. He could hear the capital “n” in the word and that never failed to amuse him. People always gave him way too much credit. Or they were scared of him, thinking he belonged to the “dark side of magic”. As if there was such a thing. He couldn’t remember how many times he’d explained that magic was neutral, it was merely a tool allowing to reach an end. By itself, it was neither good or bad. What truly mattered were the intentions of people who used it.

“Yes, that would be me. Just Phil, though. What can I do for you?”

“I need a spell.”

“You're lucky,” Phil grinned. “That's what I do best. What kind of spell do you need? For who?”

“A bird. I, uh, I think it had a heart attack because of me and I feel bad,” he added with a grimace.

Phil chuckled. “That's fine, I've heard weirder stories, some you probably wouldn't believe. How long ago?”

“Three hours now, it'll make five by the time I go back,” he said quickly, as if he had prepared the answer.

Maybe he did. Some people did. People seemed to want to leave as quickly when they came to see him, strangely enough.

“Alright, I should be done in about half an hour - you can either wait here or come back later, as you prefer.”

“I can come back in a little while then, if that's alright? I have to do something first.”

“Yes, of course. I'd just need your name, if you don't mind? It helps the spell be more powerful.”

Well, maybe it didn't. Maybe Phil just thought he was cute, with his deep dark eyes hidden behind pretty curls. But he didn't need to know that.

“Sure, uh, it's Dan,” he said, brushing his hair away from his eyes.

Phil raised an eyebrow. “Just Dan?”

“Yes.”

“Alright then,” Phil said, turning around to get for the book he needed. “I'll be done when you come back.”

Dan was already gone when he turned back around to put the heavy book on his desk. Phil just shrugged and flicked to the pages he was looking for, before reaching for the few ingredients required.

*

The spell was quickly ready, birds were easy. Much different from that one spell that had taken him two days straight to complete. He was glad that wasn’t a popular one, really. The bell rang just as he put the jar of cloves back on the shelves, and sure enough, Dan was there when he turned around.

“Hello again,” he smiled.

“I'm not too early, am I?” Dan asked.

He really was a nervous guy, wasn't he, hands discreetly twitching at his sides.

“No, no, not at all,” Phil reassured him. “You're right on time, actually, I just finished. There you go,” he added, placing the small bottle on the desk. “Just rub some of it over the heart, and make it drink the rest, and the bird should be back to normal in a couple of minutes. Don't hesitate to come back if you have any problem though! Shop's open pretty much all the time, and I live upstairs anyway,” he grinned again.

Relief seemed to wash over Dan's face, and the tension in his shoulders melted away. He took a few steps to get closer to the table.

“Thank you,” he said, and the gratitude in his eyes warmed Phil's heart a little bit.

A lot of different people entered Phil's shop to request his services, and he had the occasion to see a lot of different reactions to different situations, but it was the first time someone seemed so genuinely happy to be able to save a bird. Interesting.

“How much do I owe you?” Dan asked, searching his pockets.

“Two coppers, please,” Phil said.

Dan stepped closer, letting the two coins fall on Phil's desk amongst the books and scrolls and multiple ingredients cluttering it, before taking the potion he was handing him.

“Thank you again,” he said. “Really.”

“No problem,” Phil smiled. “Just doing my job. As I told you, don't hesitate to come back if I can help with anything else, it rarely gets very busy around here.”

That made Dan smile a little, and Phil felt oddly proud about that.

“I'll remember it, thank you. I'll see you around, probably,” he added as he walked out of the shop with one last wave.

Phil looked at the closing door for a bit before shaking his head back into reality, and putting some order back into his books and scrolls. He really needed to take an afternoon and reorganize everything, someday, it was getting difficult to find everything he needed. But that would have to wait, he needed to go into town to get the supplies he needed, both for the shop and for himself.

It was the start of the warm season so he didn’t need to grab a coat, just his large bag, although he couldn’t always resist the call of the aesthetic look a long black coat could offer. Everyone knew who he was anyway, and he rarely talked to a lot of people, so it really didn’t matter if he looked like a proper necromancer or not. He took care to lock the door as he left and went on his way to the shops, humming the tune of a song he’d forgotten the title of a long time ago as he walked down the main street, fingertips brushing against the bordering flowers. He liked the soft touch of the sun against his skin, he spent way too much time inside.

The centre of town wasn’t far from where he lived, and he quickly was in front of the shops he was looking for. The herbalist, Cara, knew him well enough with how often he came here to replenish his stocks, and she smiled at him when he entered.

“Hello, Phil,” she said. “What can I help you with, today?”

“I’m all out of valerian roots and sunflower seeds,” Phil grinned. “And, do you know when you’ll have columbine flowers again? My stock of dried ones is starting to run out.”

“I’m afraid that won’t be before a week or two,” she replied, her light blue dress whirling as she walked out from behind the counter to get to the shelves behind Phil. “But rest assured, you will be the first one to know when they’re ready,” she added with a smile in her voice.

Phil chuckled and turned around to face her, seeing the new tattoo adorning her back, the glimmering blue symbol contrasting with her dark brown skin and matching her braids.

“You're in luck,” she said, glancing at him from over her shoulder. “This is my last pot of valerian roots, you would've had to wait until Liz brought me some, and that wouldn't have been before a while." She sighed. "Their deliveries are less frequent than they used to be, and I have to deal with all the idiots that don't want to understand that I have no impact on whether I get plants from a different county or not!”

She turned around, pot in hand, and sighed again. “I'm sorry, I know it's not your fault I just- I don't know why things are changing lately, and I'm not sure I like it.”

Phil frowned. “Are you alright? Maybe you should take a little break. I'm going into town anyway, I can bring you one of Ulan's calming drinks on the way back if you want.”

“Oh that'd be so nice, thank you. You're a sweetheart.”

“My pleasure,” Phil smiled. “And I'll try to talk to Liz if I see them, maybe I can help with whatever problem they're having. In the meantime, how much do I owe you?”

“One silver,” she said, going back to her desk and putting the two boxes he'd asked for on the table. “These should last you a little while.”

Phil searched through his pockets before letting the coin fall into Cara's hand, and putting the two small boxes in his bag.

“Thank you! I'll be right back with that drink,” he said with a wave as he walked out.

Next stop was going to be the food shop.

*

It had taken a while, but he finally had everything he needed. He decided to drop it all home before coming back to stop at the inn for a bit. He never talked much when he was there, but he liked to hear the stories people would tell. He'd already given Cara the drink he said he would get her, so he didn't have any reason to rush anymore. He hoped it could do her some good.

People looked at him when he pushed open the inn's door, quickly averting their eyes when they realized who he was. It didn't bother him anymore, he was used to it. He walked up to the counter, and Ulan gave him his Secret Brew without even having to ask. Phil wasn't exactly sure what was in that drink, all he knew was that is was non alcoholic and he was pretty sure he could taste a hint of violet. That's what he got every time. The two or three people talking next to him caught his attention.

"D'you see who came into town earlier?" one of them said (the blacksmith, Phil was almost positive his name was Tann). "The Howell boy."

"So that was him?" his friend said. "Thought it might be, but we haven't seen him around in, what, five years?"

"More or less, yeah," Tann nodded. "Why d’ you think he came back? Wearing those gloves?"

Were they talking about the guy who came to Phil a few hours back? What was his name again…? Dan. That would explain why he had never seen him before, Phil only settled here three years ago.

"Maybe he burned his hands and doesn't want to show the scars," someone else shrugged. "Remember when Leyna got bitten? She wouldn't show her arm until her healing sessions were over and the mark was gone."

Everyone muttered in agreement and the subject shifted, leaving Phil to wonder about it as he stared at his drink. This guy continued to intrigue him, and the more he heard about him, the more it piqued his curiosity. He shook his head and finished his drink, leaving the money on the counter as he stood up. He was done for today, and he wanted to get home on time to feed the cat that stopped by his house every day.

That was always the highlight of his day.

 

* * *

 

Over the next few weeks, Dan started coming in more and more regularly. He needed a spell every time, and Phil might've been slightly worried if it wasn't for the guilty and sad look on his face every time he walked in. Phil had figured there was something going on that he didn't know about, so he decided to just mind his business and do his job. That's what he was best at, anyway.

Today was no different, and Phil wasn't surprised when Dan pushed open the door.

"Well if it isn't my favourite customer! What can I help you with today?" he grinned.

The hint of a smile appeared on Dan's lips, and Phil always felt proud of that. He noticed how he'd been smiling more and more each time he came. Dan took a few steps forward, mindlessly playing with his gloves.

"Guess you rarely have recurring customers here, huh?"

"That would be a correct assumption," Phil chuckled. "People usually don't like to be around me too much either, to be honest. I think they believe I'll put a curse on them or something if I decide I don't like them," he shrugged.

Dan put his elbows on the counter and leaned on it. "And would you?"

"I couldn't even if I wanted to," Phil admitted, pretending he wasn't troubled by how close Dan was and how he felt he could get trapped in his eyes forever if he didn't stop looking into them. "I'm a Necromancer, not a Witch. Very different abilities."

"Why don't you just tell them, then?" Dan asked, curiosity noticeable in his voice.

"That would be a lot less fun," Phil flashed another smile. "At least I'm sure nobody will dare to bother me, you'd be surprised at how much it helps to keep a calm and quiet mind when you're bringing lives back from the In-Between."

"I'll have to trust you on this one," Dan shrugged.

“So, is there anything I can help you with?” Phil asked.

“Not today, no,” Dan smirked slightly. “I just wanted to stop by and say hi on my way into town.”

Phil was glad he was already sitting down, because he didn’t trust his legs not to fail him when Dan said that. He just… wasn’t expecting anyone to ever want to talk to him just to talk, without being here for another reason. And he particularly wouldn’t have expected it from the cute guy he may or may not have started to develop a crush on.

"I- uh- well- That's... That's very nice of you, thank you. I appreciate it," he stuttered.

He could've sworn the smile on Dan's lips had grown just a tiny bit wider, and he felt his ears heat up.

"Hey, I have to make sure you don't hate me, with how much I have to come in it'd be a shame if you couldn't stand me anymore," he said cheerily. "There aren't that many necromancers around, and you're the best one for miles anyway."

Phil laughed, and was about to answer when the bell above the door rang and someone walked in.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the woman said. "I didn't mean to... I'll wait outside."

"No, no, don't worry," Phil said quickly. "He was just about to leave."

"Hey,' Dan protested. "I was, but it's not a reason to throw me out like an insect."

Phil laughed. "Stop being an idiot, you know I'm not throwing you out. You have errands to run and I have a job to do, so," he added, indicating the door.

Dan looked like he was trying very hard not to stick out his tongue at him. "Alright, alright, I'm going. I'll see you soon, probably," he said before turning around.

"I'll be waiting for my most loyal customer," Phil called after him, and he saw him shake his head and heard a faint chuckle coming from him.

He looked back at the lady waiting. "Sorry about that, I'm all yours now. How can I help you?"

 

* * *

 

Phil was used to Dan’s daily visits now, where he would sit on a table and just talk with Phil, about everything, and sneak upstairs if a client came in. People usually appreciated a certain discretion regarding the reason they came in. Dan had slowly been opening up to him over the days and Phil couldn't be happier about it.

Dan was laughing, legs dangling from the corner of the desk he had claimed for the day.

“Wait wait wait, you're telling me that Phil Lester, the renowned Necromancer uses his mysterious powers to bring your _houseplants_ back to life?”

“Hey,” Phil protested. “I use my abilities however I damn please, thank you very much.”

Dan laughed again. “I can’t believe you can’t even keep plants alive.”

“Look, my specialty is reviving things, not keeping them in good shape, I’m doing my best,” Phil pouted.

“Mine seems to be killing things,” Dan said with a somber smile.

Phil tilted his head to the side. “What do you mean?”

He saw the hesitation on Dan’s face and was sure he was just going to brush it off, but he seemed to change his mind at the last second and let out a sigh, mindlessly fiddling with the hem of his gloves.

“I- well- I’m- I’ve been cursed,” he blurted out. “My ex was a witch and he- well, he wasn’t too happy when I left, and he decided the best way to make me pay for it was to put a curse on me. Guess that’s what I get for dating a witch,” he added with a bitter smirk. “So now I just- anything that touches me dies instantly. That’s why I’m wearing gloves all the time,” he added, lifting up his hands as if he thought Phil had never noticed them. “But it doesn’t always work.”

“So that’s why you were coming in so often,” Phil said, and Dan nodded. “And why you came back after being away for so long? I heard people talk about it at the inn,” he explained when his saw the inquisitive look Dan was giving him.

“People around here have always liked to gossip,” Dan chuckled, and Phil had to agree. “But yes, that’s why. I thought they’d have forgotten about me after all this time but ah, well. I guess I underestimated them.”

“Do you know if there’s a way to lift the curse?” Phil asked. “This is a temporary solution, you can’t keep it up forever.”

“That’s what I wanted to ask you,” Dan said. “Would you teach me? Necromancy, I mean.”

Phil sighed and let his head fall. “I can’t.”

“Why? You’re the best one anybody knows!”

“It’s not that I don’t _want_ to, Dan,” he looked up, “it’s just- It’s not how it works. I could teach you all the spells and words I know, but it wouldn’t change anything. It’s not like being a witch, you have to be born in a necromancer family, have that in your blood.”

“But maybe I do!” Dan retorted, jumping down from the desk and walking to the counter. “Maybe I do have that in my blood!”

“You don’t,” Phil simply said. “I would know if you did, believe me. Dan, I’m sorry, I wish I could help you but I can’t- I can’t make you a necromancer.”

“Well there goes my only chance then,” Dan replied, and his voice was so full of bitterness that Phil’s heart broke a little. “I’d better go home,” he added, turning around.

Phil almost called him back but he didn’t, he just stayed there and watched him walk away. A gust of wind suddenly came through the window and messed up all the papers on his desk, bringing him back to reality, and he grabbed an ancient book from underneath the counter, one he never thought he’d open again, and dived into the yellowed pages.

*

It had taken a while, but he had finally found what he was looking for. He read the page once more to make sure he had understood everything correctly, and closed the book with a loud thud. If he was doing this, there was no time to lose. First of all, he needed to know where Dan lived, and the best place to go to for information was always the inn. Alcohol usually loosened tongues, which meant that Ulan knew pretty much everything about everyone.

He left the shop and quickly walked to the town’s centre and pushed the inn’s door, walking straight to the counter. Ulan went up to him.

“I need to find someone,” Phil said.

Okay, maybe that sounded harsher than he had meant to.

Ulan nodded. “Who?”

“Dan Howell. He's a friend, I just- I need to know where he lives.”

Ulan raised an eyebrow, but didn't make any comment. Phil knew he trusted him.

“Take the East road for about fifteen minutes, then turn right along the sunflower field. You can't miss it.”

“ Thank you,” Phil replied.

Ulan just nodded and went back to another customer.

Now, Phil just had to go find Dan.

*

Ulan was right, Dan's house had been easy to find, it was the only one around here. Phil walked to the wooden door and knocked. He heard rummage inside for a few seconds until the door opened and Dan appeared behind it, surprise written all over his face.

“What do you want?”

“I know how to lift the curse,” Phil said.

Dan took a step back and opened the door wider to let him walk inside.

Dan's house was quite simple, not much furniture and nothing personal in sight, the opposite of Phil’s that was always overflowing with books and scrolls and partly alive plants. If he didn’t know better, Phil would have a hard time believing anyone was living here. They sat at the table.

“Have you ever heard of the forest spirit?” Phil asked, deciding not to waste time. Dan shook his head. “Legends say an ancient being lives in the center of the northern forest, and that they will grant you any wish you have if you bring them a special gem, a black opal from beyond the lake of shadows.”

“Lake of shadows?” Dan frowned. “That doesn’t sound fun.”

“It sounds scarier than it really is,” Phil smiled. “The smoke that give it its name are _veritan_ fumes, which make it basically impossible to say anything but the truth.”

“But wait, you said the forest spirit was a legend, right?”

“It is. But if anyone knows legends can be real, it’s me. This spirit is the one who gave my family necromancy powers, hundreds of years ago. Powers that passed down to me, eventually.  I think it’s your best shot at lifting the curse,” Phil said. “At least this one will work, if we can do everything right.”

“We?” Dan repeated quietly.

Phil grinned. “You’re going to need some help with that one,” he simply said. “And a necromancer’s help can be quite useful.”

Dan smiled back at him. “Thank you,” he just said, but there was so much sincerity in his voice that it was enough.

“Alright,” Phil stood up. “Get your stuff ready, we’re leaving tomorrow morning. I’ll come to pick you up.”

Dan didn’t blink. “I’ll be ready.”

 

* * *

 

Phil was walking up the path to Dan's house for the second day, and the sunflowers were just starting to get their heads up from the ground to follow the rising sun. His old leather messenger bag was bouncing against his hip, he had made sure to stop at the inn and Cara’s shop to get some food and supplies, along with what he had taken from his stocks. He wasn't sure for how long they'd be gone, and he didn’t want to risk missing anything. And he might not be able to use magic like witches could, but he knew enough about plants’ medicinal qualities, and he had a few spells up his sleeve that he could always use.

He spotted Dan a few minutes before the house, he was sitting on the top of a massive rock, watching the early morning sky with a long cloak draped over his shoulders. Phil held back a smile as he walked up to him. He really couldn’t resist being so dramatic.

“Hey,” he said when he was close enough.

Dan looked down and smiled, before jumping down. “Hi,” he replied. “Nice coat.”

“Nice cloak,” Phil replied. “Ready? We’re going east until we find the gem, then northwest until the lake of shadows. After that, it’s just due north. Might take a couple of days, but I doubt it’ll be more than four or five.”

“That’s fine with me,” Dan said. “If you think it can work, I’m ready to do whatever it takes.”

Phil smiled.

“Let’s go then.”

 

* * *

 

They’d been traveling for almost two days when Phil saw it, the glade covered in blackleaves his book had mentioned.

“Here we are,” he said, making Dan stop walking. “Black opals can be found here, under the plants. But be careful, these blackleaves are poisonous.”

Dan smiled and raised his hands to show his gloves. “I should be fine,” he said. “I’ll look for the opal, you should see if you can find some water. We’re running low.”

“Will do,” Phil replied. “Shout if you need anything,” he added before walking away.

He had enough purifying plants that he didn’t need to worry about finding a clear source, he could do with any water. Walking amongst the trees, he thought about the last day and how, more than ever, he knew it was all worth it. And maybe he'd fallen for Dan even more than he already had, and maybe it was too late and he was now in too deep to hope he could get out of it and go back to the way things were. He knew that couldn’t happen anyway. There was a price for lifting the curse, even if he didn’t tell Dan, one he was willing to pay. He was pretty sure Dan wouldn't have agreed to this if he had said anything.

He sighed and kneeled next to the pond he’d found and got the bottles out of his bag, filling them with water and dropping a few purifying leaves in them. That should be enough to give them clean water for the rest of the trip.

“Phil!” he heard Dan shout. “I got it!”

He got back up and jogged back to the glade where Dan was standing. Dan walked up to him and opened his hand to reveal the round gem nestled in his palm, the sunlight accentuating its green and blue reflects. Phil looked back at him and saw the bright smile lighting up his whole face, and he felt his heart tighten at the sight. Phil was pretty sure it was the first time he'd seen Dan so genuinely hopeful and happy, and he was determined to do whatever it took to ensure he’d keep that look on his face for a long time.

“Well done,” he said, closing Dan’s hand over the stone. “Do you want to stop for today or should we continue?”

“Let’s keep going,” Dan said, taking Phil’s hand and letting the opal fall into his palm. “The sooner we find the spirit, the sooner we’ll be done will all that.”

Phil nodded and carefully placed the opal in his bag.

*

“Is this it?” Dan asked.

Phil nodded. Even if he didn’t know exactly where he was, the vapours coming from the water were pretty telling of which lake it was. The lake of shadows.

“There’s a rowing boat over there,” he pointed out. “That should be enough to get to the other side.”

“Isn’t it- I mean, it must belong to someone, right?” Dan frowned.

“No,” Phil smiled. “See these leaves painted on the side? That means however left it there gave it to the forest. Basically, anybody can use it.”

“Oh, alright,” Dan said. “Well, let’s go then.”

Phil agreed and they both walked up to the boat, beginning their crossing of the lake. Phil couldn’t say he hadn’t been worried about the truth fumes and what they’d make him say, but it was too late to back out now. And it was selfish of him to even want that, just because he didn’t want to risk what was slowly building between Dan and him, while Dan just wanted his life back.

They both kept silent for a little while, Dan playing with the hem of his gloves while Phil was on rowing duty. They’d agree to relay each other regularly, finding their way through the vapours was harder than what Phil had anticipated.

“Hey,” Dan asked suddenly. “I never thought to ask, but how come you know so much about everything?”

Phil shrugged. “It’s part of my job. People tell me things all the time, to explain certain circumstances or just because they're nervous and rambling. My parents taught me a lot, too. And I have a lot of books about everything,” he added with a smile.

Dan nodded. “You never talk about your parents,” he noted.

“Neither do you,” Phil replied.

“Touché,” Dan laughed. “There just isn't much to say. They weren't exactly happy when I left with Ethan, and they moved to the south. I thought about going to visit, but I can't just go like that,” he added, stretching his hands in front of him. “They’d just say I should’ve seen it coming.”

“I get that,” Phil nodded. “Haven’t talked to my parents in a couple years either. We… have a few disagreements.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, a few centuries will do that to you,” he laughed, before realizing what he had said. “Wait-”

He wanted to try to play it off as a joke, but he couldn't. The fumes. This was exactly what he was afraid would happen.

“Centuries? What- What do you mean?” Dan stuttered.

“I don't- Dan, please…”

“Phil,” he said slowly. “How old are you?”

Phil let go of the paddles and hid his face in his hands.

“... I've lived for four hundred and thirty-eight years,” he said eventually.

Dan stayed silent, and didn’t look at him when Phil looked up.

“How?” he ended up saying, eyes obstinately fixed on the water.

Phil sighed. “My parents. Before I was born, when my mum was pregnant with me, they went- they went to the forest spirit and asked to be made necromancers, the most powerful there could be. The spirit agreed, and explained that to do that, they had to make my parents immortal. Necromancy usually takes a minuscule part off of someone’s lifespan for every spell, and being the most powerful meant being immortal. They were thrilled, of course, so they said yes.”

“So,” Dan said. “You’re immortal too. No wonder you know so much about everything,” he scoffed.

“I didn’t ask for this! Dan, please…” he added, leaning forward slightly, desperately trying to make eye contact.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Dan asked bluntly, looking up suddenly and locking eyes with Phil. “Did you think I- what, that I wasn’t worth it? That you couldn’t trust me?”

“That’s not true,” Phil protested. “You know that’s not true.”

“You know what? I don’t want to talk about it. Not now. Let’s just get to the forest spirit. It’s my turn to row,” Dan simply said.

Phil gave up and just traded places with him without saying anything, throat feeling tight. Neither of them said a word until they reached the other side of the lake.

[(liet-erally's art)](http://xmasditl.tumblr.com/post/180955271015/a-tale-of-life-and-death)

The silence stretched for a while as they walked through the woods, the only sounds being the branches cracking under their feet.

“What is it that your parents and you don't agree on?” Dan asked suddenly, and Phil felt like he was throwing him a line.

“I don't bring back people. Conscious beings,” he said. “They do. I've seen the damage it can do to the minds of the people they bring back, it's… it's awful. Nothing could ever justify that.”

Dan glanced at him over his shoulder.

“What kind of damage?”

“Bad one,” Phil shook his head. “It's- they're not able to understand what happened. They think everything's normal, and as long as they do it's alright, but it never lasts. At some point, they realize that something is wrong, and that they died and came back, and when they do they just- they can't process it. They just start screaming and screaming and trying to find another explanation, but when they see that there is no other explanation most of them just… kill themselves again. So they don't have to deal with this. It's unbearable.”

Dan nodded and looked in front of him again. Phil had this bitter taste stuck in his mouth from remembering all the poor souls he'd seen over time, as his parents kept trying and trying. He'd sworn then that he'd never, ever bring back a human being.

They continued walking for what felt like hours, going deeper and deeper into the woods, and if Phil was almost sure they'd already walked past this exact tree at least three times now, he didn't say anything. Getting lost was part of the process.

“Look,” Dan said, still walking ahead. “I'm sorry I got mad, that's not- that wasn't fair on you. I just-” He stopped and sighed, before turning around to face Phil. “I like you, I really do. You're kind, and funny, and always so surprising - and you don't look too bad either. But, you're immortal,” he frowned. “And I- I don't know how to deal with that, to be honest. Because I'm not. I'm just a regular human, and if you just… don't change while I get old and eventually die that's not- well, that wouldn't be ideal.”

“Wait- Wha-” Phil suddenly couldn't remember how to form a coherent sentence. “What do you mean, you… like me?”

The corners of Dan's mouth twitched. “I mean, I have a crush on you. It’s been a while now,” he added.

Phil was still struggling to process that new information when a bright light suddenly emerged from the trees, so blinding that he had to cover his face. The light seemed to decrease after a few seconds, and Phil could finally open his eyes again, blinking a few times to make sure he was seeing correctly. The forest spirit was right in front of them, even taller than what Phil had imagined, reaching the treetops, their black skin gradually turning into a tree’s bark on their arms, and their face framed by tight green curls matching the colour of the vines creeping up their legs before fading in the moss and flowers that covered the rest of their body.

“Did you come looking for me, humans?” the spirit spoke up, deep voice making Phil shudder with how much it seemed to echo throughout his body.

“Yes,” Dan said quickly before Phil had a chance to react.

“Very well,” the spirit said, lowering themselves on their knees to be closer to them. “What is your request? I am hearing you.”

Phil was the one to answer this time.

“Dan here is cursed. A witch put a death curse on him, making him kill everything he touches. It’s too powerful to be broken by any human.”

“I see,” the spirit said.

They moved their hand over Dan’s head for a few seconds, and Dan instinctively grabbed Phil’s wrist.

“I will help you,” the spirit decided eventually. “But there is a price to be paid. What I give, I must take from elsewhere.”

“I am prepared to pay the price in full knowledge of what it means,” Phil said, and if he saw Dan looking at him with confusion, he kept his focus on the shining golden eyes of the spirit.

He knew what he was doing.

“Very well, Necromancer. The opal, please.”

Phil rummaged through his bag before carefully getting the gem out. With a snap of fingers, the spirit made it levitate into their open palm before covering it with their other hand. When they moved their arms apart again, the opal was gone.

“Let us begin,” they said. “Human, step closer.”

Dan took a few steps forward and the spirit extended each of their arms over Dan and Phil.

“Now, Necromancer, this might hurt a little,” they said, but before Phil could react, the air was sucked out of his lungs.

He felt his back arch, his feet barely touching the ground, and he would be screaming in pain if he wasn’t already unable to breathe. He could almost feel something being ripped away from him, and he couldn’t see anything, every little bit of his body protesting this, demanding that it ended. Every second felt like the most painful thing his body and mind could handle, and for a short moment, the idea flashed in his mind that maybe he was going to die there, in such agony. He had no idea of how much time had passed until he fell harshly on the ground, immediately coughing and striving to catch his breath, painfully opening his eyes.

Dan was… floating in the air, surrounded by a ray of light, and looking peaceful. It lasted a few seconds, then the spirit let him touch the ground again and vanished without another word. Dan opened his eyes and looked around for a bit, before seeing Phil lying down. Phil barely saw the worried look creep on his face before he rushed to his side.

“Phil, hey, are you okay? What happened? What did they _do_ to you?!”

He could hear the distress in Dan’s voice and it was breaking his heart, so he propped himself up on his elbow with a grimace.

“Hey, Dan, hey,” he said quietly, interrupting Dan’s incessant talking. “I’m fine, alright? I’m fine.”

The smile of relief that he saw appear on Dan’s face was so bright that it sparked warmth in his chest.

“Oh thank fuck, I was so worried I- I don’t know anything about these things,” he chuckled.

Phil was almost sure he’d seen tears in Dan’s eyes before he leaned down to kiss him, and the warmth in his chest turned into a raging fire.

Dan pulled away suddenly, eyes wide in horror.

“Oh no, no, shit, no, what have I-”

“Dan,” Phil said, sitting up and gently taking his hand in his, speaking calmly to try and get Dan to calm down for just a second.. “Dan, hey, look at me. Look at me. I’m fine. I’m not dead.”

“You’re not dead,” Dan repeated, another smile slowly growing on his face. “You’re not dead.”

He burst into tears and Phil pulled him close, slowly rocking back and forth in silence, until Dan managed to calm down.

“Sorry,” he said, wiping in his eyes. “It’s just- it’s been a while since I could actually… just touch somebody.”

“I know, I know,” Phil smiled a little. “It's all good, alright? You don't have to apologize about anything.”

Dan laughed a bit and Phil leaned in to kiss him again.

“We should go back home,” Dan said after they moved apart.

Phil nodded and took the hand Dan was offering him to help him stand up. Dan took of his gloves and shoved them in his pockets, before flashing Phil a smile and taking his hand in his, and they started making their way back.

*

“Hey,” Dan spoke up suddenly. “The spirit said there was a price to pay, and that you paid it. What was it?”

“A death curse is really difficult to lift,” Phil said. “It's basically a life for a life. Taking a life so your life can be yours again.”

“Wait, a life for a life? But- But you're still here, I don't-” Dan stammered.

Phil smiled. “I was lucky enough to be born with more than one life.”

“Born with more than- oh. Your- your immortality? _That_ was the price?” He stopped walking. Phil nodded. “And- you knew that? Then why did you- why did you do it?”

“You're making it sound much more difficult than it was,” Phil shrugged. “I've had my share of immortality over the last 400 years or so. And, well, you could use it more than me. It was just… the right thing to do, I guess.”

Dan pulled him into a hug, arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

 

* * *

 

“Coming through!” Dan called out as he ran down the stairs. “Oh, nobody’s here,” he said when he arrived, and walked to the counter. “Good, we wouldn't want another Mrs. Zneta running out screaming because she thought I was a ghost. That'd be bad for business. It's slow enough as it is.”

Phil laughed and pulled him closer to kiss him. “Pity we lost such a valuable customer, mmh? How do you think he's doing?”

“I'm sure he's doing just fine,” Dan chuckled. “I'm heading out to help Liz figure out what's wrong with that wheel that's slowing them down, do you need me to get you anything on the way?”

“I'm all good, thank you. Don't come back too late, I'll miss you!”

Dan laughed again and leaned in for another kiss. “Sure you will. See you later, love!” he added with a wave as he walked out the door.

Phil stood there for a bit, remembering the first time Dan came in here, and how different he was back then, so nervous and scared, and with this ever present sadness in his eyes.  These last few months, after they came back from the forest, and after Dan moved in with Phil, he'd seen him happier than ever, like he was letting himself _live_ again.

“A life for a life,” Phil thought before going back to ordering his bookshelf. A useless life he'd never really wanted, for a life of happiness. That was more than a good trade, in his opinion.


End file.
